Air flue for refrigerator ice containers



Sept. l

^ T. A. SALA AIR FLUE FOR REFRIGERATOR ICE CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 2, 1924 .lwmwfwwmmwwwmwwvwwwwwwwwwww 2 miga Ammm Patented Sept. 1, 1925i.

UNITED STATES Vlnarlnvr oFFlcEf.

THEO'DORE A. ISALA, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

AIR FLUE FOR REFRIGERATOR ICE CONTAINERS.

Application filed September 2, 17924. Serial No. 735,323.

the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in air flues for refrigerator ice containers.

It is very desirable to circulate ther air in refrigerators of the display case type. Several inventions have been brought out involvingtransverse and upright flues for circulating air through the ice containers. My invention vhas particularly to do with the multiple container type.

The object of the invention is to provide upright flues in the vice containers open at the bottom of vthe container for receiving or exhausting air and closed at the top and provided with perforations for distributing or receiving the air.

A particular object is to provide closures for the upper ends of the flues so that in fillingrthe containers, pieces of ice or other matter will not fall into or pass through the lues.

An important object is to provide in each container one or more upright flues spaced so as to be surrounded by the ice and cooling solution and at the same time to expose a large surface yto both the cooling medium and the air.

Another object is to retard the passage of air up through the iiues sufficiently to thoroughly cool it and also to direct the air outwardly from `the flues over the cooling medium of the container. j

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein;

Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a refrigerator having ice containers equipped with fiues constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l,

Fig. is an enlarged sectionalview of one of the air flues,` and Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a modified form of Hue.`

In the drawings the numeral l()V designates the display chamber of a refrigerator j' and ll the ice chamber' at each end thereof. In each icev chamber is a vertical rack `l2 ,spaced from the sides thereof.Vv Angle rails 13 are provided atdiiferentelevations in veach rack. vEach pair of rails supports a drawer-14 which may be Vslid outwardly from the .chamber when a door' l5 is opened. The drawers have a length less than the depth vof the chamber, so (that-a vertical space surrounds the drawers in the chamber.4 j

- The drawers arel made of metal and in each a pluralityof frusto-conical air f lues 16 are arranged vertically. In installing the fines, aV perforation or, circular ope-ning 17 is made in the'bottom of the drawer. for

each flue.' I/Vhile any number of flues may be used and they may be secured in the drawer in any suitable'manner, I prefer to slit the lower end of each Hue so as to pro.

vide alternate 'prongs 18 and `19 respectively. These prongs are bent outwardly parallel to the bottom of the drawer. The prongs 18 are first bent so as to rest upon the top of the drawer,'the prongs 19 being inserted in the opening 17 and bent up against the underside of the bottom of the` drawer. The joint is then soldered to prevent leaking andto fasten the prongs to the with an outturned bead 2O and the edge 21I of a cap 22 is rolled over said bead, whereby the cap is secured to the upper end and the flue is closed. Just'under theJ bead the fiue is provided with circumferential perforations 23 forming passages for the air. The caps are located just below the upper edge of the drawer so as not to interfere with its movement.

The flue may be used in any style 0f refrigerator case. Air may pass in both directions through the iues. Warm air rises and upon entering the ilues will be chilled as it moves upwardly. The caps 22 will to a certain extent retard the upward passage bottom. This makes a very strong connecy iiue.

rtire surface so as to either distribute air at Y ,various elevations 1n the drawer or admit of the air which must escape through the perforations 23. This will cause the air to be reduced to a much lower temperature and will also cause it to pass outwardly over the ice instead of directly upward. Cold air in passing downward will enter the perforations 23 and pass down through the fines.V

The drawers being spacedy from the walls of the chamber permit a free circulation. Suilicient space is provided in the drawers around the flues to contain ample ice and solution to cool the air adequately.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modiiied forinof This hue has perforations 24 in enit to the flue. f course the area. of the surface vhaving the perforations may vary.

Various changes in the size and shape of the different part-s, as well as modifications and alterations niay be made within the scope ofthe appended claims.

lVhat I claim,` is: l

yl. In ay refrigerator display case, a display compartment7 an ice chambeiya plurality of superpose/d` ice containers in Vsaid chamber, and a vertical air flue in each container having its upper end capped and provided withopenings below its Cap.

the compartment., a plurality of ice con tainers supported in spaced superposed order in said charnber and spaced from the walls thereof to provide air circulation entirely around each container,r each container having vertical air flueV opening through its loottoinV and extending upward 'therein7 and means at the upper ends of the flues for retarding the` flow of air up through the a. An ice container for a -refrigerator including a vertical air flue, the lower end of the flue opening. through the bottom of the container, and a closure at the upper endof the flue adjacent the top of the container, the flue having vopenings adjacent the closure.

In testimony whereof I affix jrnnononn A. SALA.

my signature. I y 

